Railway hopper gate flexible operating assembly



March 18, 1969 w F o |-1 3,433,178

RAILWAY HOPPER GATE FLEXIBLE OPERATING ASSEMBLY Sheet Filed Dec. 9. 1966,8 R R. Q .mmm" il numr I Q Q v N 6E QN A 2 w vh A KN NW1 Qv. Mm v N N\N mN Q N H 2 \n w his Attorney March 18, 1969 w. L. FLOEHR 8 RAILWAYHOPPER GATE FLEXIBLE OPERATING ASSEMBLY H .m 1 i g M M {f l Q H .o z m2m a 1 v F 1 I Z .l .L Am r t T e a N u w l: W m .LILJ i M m l mm \W l n[\eR w u m V: 4 1 B M n 2 I km v w no 6 9 l ow m e D d e F a R a hisAttorney United States Patent 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Arailway hopper car discharge gate slidable on rails between positions toopen and close a hopper opening in a gate frame and movable therealongby an operating shaft connected thereto for linear movement in unisonand rollable along the rails by being rotated in turns of a cableanchored beyond the haft to the frame.

Background of the invention A discharge gate of a railway hopper car isadapted to close a downwardly opening discharge opening in a gate frameattached to a hopper and slides, generally horizontally, between closedand open positions on transversely spaced ways or rails fixed to andextending beyond a front wall of the frame. conventionally, a dischargegate is moved between open and closed positions by an operating shaftmounted on the frame for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis andcarrying one or more pinions each engageable with a rack on theunderside of the gate. In an alternate arrangement, the operating shaftis still rotatable but it and the gate are connected for linear movementin unison and this movement is imparted on rotation of the shaft byengagement of its pinions with longitudinally extending racks fixed tothe frame. While both arrangements are satisfactory under mostcircumstances, a rack and pinion, as their teeth mesh, are subjected toa component of the applied force which tends to separate or force themapart. Consequently, with either arrangement, the gate, as it moveslongitudinally under force of the operating shaft, has a correspondingforce component transmitted to it from the shaft which can presentobstacles to the close fit between the gate and its seat in the framerequired to prevent the escape of lading, particularly if the latter isfinely divided.

Summary of the invention The present invention relates to a dischargegate operating assembly for railway hopper cars in which a gate and itsoperating shaft are connected for linear movement in unison and so movedby a cable drive without the tendency toward separation attendant theuse of rack and pinion drives. It therefore is the primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved discharge gate operatingassembly which in driving a gate between open and closed positions, isnot subjected to separating forces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a discharge gate operatingassembly which not only is not itself subject to separating forces butin moving the gate applies a force for holding the gate in engagementwith the guideway on which it slides.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a discharge gateoperating assembly wherein the gate is driven linearly through anoperating shaft by a cable drive and the drive is readily adjustable forequalizing forces applied to the shaft.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

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Figure description FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a gate assemblyincorporating the improved operating assembly of the present invention,with portions broken away to more clearly illustrate certain of thedetails of construction;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the gate assembly of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the gate and sleeve and collars fixed to thefront end thereof, removed from the gate assembly;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along lines 4-4 ofFIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takenalong lines 55 of FIGURE 1.

Detailed description Referring now in detail to the drawings in whichlike reference characters designate like parts, the improved dischargegate operating assembly of the present invention is adapted forapplication to a discharge gate which in moving between open and closedpositions is supported on and slides or rides along a guideway.

As exemplary of the invention, the improved operating assembly,designated as 1, has been illustrated as part of a discharge gateassembly 2. In the illustrated gate assembly a gate frame 3 is suitablyfixed or secured to the bottom portion of a hopper 4 of a railway hoppercar (not otherwise shown) and bounds a downwardly or verticallydischarging or owning discharge opening 5 of the hopper. A discharge orslide gate 6 mounted in the frame in closed position rests or seats onan instanding, upwardly-facing seat 7 in the frame 3 about the opening5.

In opening and closing the opening 5, the gate 6 slides or rides througha slot 8 in a front wall 9 of the frame 3 along a horizontally directedguideor slideway 10. In the illustrated gate assembly 2, the frame 3 isof cast- Weld construction and has as the sides 11 of its lower part 12below the seat 7, a pair of horizontally disposed, laterally ortransversely spaced, parallel side rails or members 13. Projecting orextending forwardly beyond the front wall 9, the side rails 13 providetherebeyond rail extensions 14 integral or rigid with the sides 11 forsupporting the gate 6 in open position. Rigid with the frame 3 andconnected and spaced at their outer ends by a preferably box-shapedcross-beam or brace 15, the side rails 13 are supporting ways or railswhose coplanar upper surfaces or webs 16 form the guideway 10 alongwhich the gate 6 slides or rides between open and closed position, aswell as the sides of the seat 7 on which the gate seats in closedposition.

The improved operating assembly 1 is comprised of an operating shaft 17which moves or slides the gate 6 between open and closed positions onthe guideway 10 by itself traveling or moving longitudinally of theguideway as it is turned or rotated and transmitting or applying itslongitudinal or linear movement to the gate. For converting rotarymovement imparted to it by an actuating bar or other suitable turningtool (not shown) into the desired longitudinal, linear or rectilinearmovement, the operating shaft 17 is made to work, winch-like, against anintermediate portion of a cable or like flexible member 18 which isanchored at its longitudinal extremities to the frame 3 beyond theshafts limits of travel.

Disposed forwardly of and extending parallel to the front wall 9 of theframe 3, the operating shaft 17, rather than depending on the cable 18for support, preferably is given a definitely rectilinear travel bysupporting it on a guideway which conveniently, is the outer part on therail extensions 14 of the gates guideway 10 beyond the front wall 9.Overlying and extending laterally across and normal to the railextensions, the preferred operating shaft rides or rolls on the uppersurfaces 16 thereof, preferably on a pair of rollers 19 carried andfixed to or rotatably mounted on opposite end portions of the shaft,each above one of the rail extensions. Operating heads 20 fixed to theopposite ends of the shaft outwardly of the rollers 19 and socketed toreceive an actuating bar, enable the shaft to be operated from eitherside of the car on which it is installed.

In the preferred operating assembly 1, the cable 18 presents forengagement by the operating shaft 17 two legs, runs or lengths 21 whichare laterally spaced on pposite sides of and equidistant from thelongitudinal centerline of the guideway 10. For drivably engaging thelegs 21, the operating shaft 17 has fixed to it, equidistantly from itsown midpoint and the longitudinal centerline of the guideway 10, a pairof axially spaced, counterpart, helically-grooved pulleys or drums 22,whose grooves 23, as their designation as counterparts denotes, areoppositely oblique or inclined. Concentric with each other and the shaft17, the pulleys 22 preferably are of a capacity to and normally doreceive or contain as turns, coils or wraps in their grooves 23substantially half of the cable in their respective cable legs 21 forenabling each leg to be fixed against slipping substantially at itscenter to the related pulley without interfering with the drivingengagement between the pulleys and the cable. For the preferred antislipfastening, the cable in each leg 21 is cut or divided substantially inhalf and the adjoining ends of the halves are clamped in a clip 24 whichis received or seated and, for holding it in place, preferably driveninto a peripheral seat or socket 25, interrupting the groove 23 of andcentered axially on the related pulley 22.

The opposite longitudinal extremities of the cable 18 are anchored tothe frame 3 beyond the limits of travel of the operating shaft 17 alongthe guideway and preferably below the level of the guideway, the latterto enable the cable to exert a downward force for holding the rollers 19on the guideway. While anchored to locate them horizontally andvertically relative to the operating shaft, the inner and outer cableextremities 26 and 27, respectively, are not fixed against movement tothe frame 3 and, instead, are slidable laterally of the frame andlinearly of the cable to ensure that the forces applied to the oppositeend portions of the operating shaft 17 through the cable legs 21 areequal.

The extremities 26 and 27 differ in their own forms and those of theirslide anchorages to the frame. At one extremity, here the inner 26, thecable is continuous and at the other, more conveniently the outer 27,the cable is cut or divided crosswise or radially, with the cable ends28 at the latter extremity connected to and by a turnbuckle or othersuitable tensioning device 9.

In the illustrated gate assembly 2, the inner or rear cable extremity 26is a continuous loop extending between and rearwardly from the pulleys22 and suitably having as a slide anchor to the frame a rearwardlyopening channel 30 extending and centered laterally of and on theguideway 10 and conveniently welded or otherwise fixed or secured to theframes front wall 9 below the gate-receiving slot 8 therein. The inneror rear extremity or loop 26 is slidable longitudinally into the channel30 and, when received or seated therein, held against movement forwardlyor toward the operating shaft 17 but permitted to slide linearly ofitself or longitudinally of the channel for equalizing the resultantforces on the pulleys 22 without disturbing the angular disposition ofthe shaft relative to the guideway.

The outer or front cable extremity 27 is anchored to the crossbeamconnecting the front ends of the rails 13 beyond the corresponding limitof travel of the shaft 17 and has as its slide anchor to the beam a pairof cable guides 31 suitably having tubular portions 32 extendinglaterally through the beam and inturned arcuately convex turningportions 33 on the beams front face 34. With its parts between its outerends 28 and pulley-wrapping or shaft-engaging legs 21 slidable in theguides 31, the preferred cable 18 has those ends spaced laterally of theguideway 10 or longitudinally of the connecting beam 15 for receivingtherebetween the turnbuckle 29. Spacing and supported or carried by theends 28 and having no other connection to the crossbeam 15, theturnbuckle 29 is adapted to slide across the beams front face 34 in thedirection of the spacing of the ends, thus ensuring that the shaftengaging legs 21, for which it acts as a common tensioning or slacktake-up member, will be equally tensioned or tautened at all times.

For transmitting the longitudinal travel of the operating shaft 17 tothe discharge gate 6 and, by causing their travel in unisonlongitudinally of the guideway 10, effecting opening and closing of thegate, it usually will be preferred that these members be connectedagainst any relative movement, except the rotary movement of the shaft,so that the angular disposition of both relative to the guideway willnecessarily be the same. In the illustrated embodiment such a connectionis obtained by forming the front end portion of the gate 6 beyond theframes front wall 9 as an upturned lip or flange 35 extending laterallysubstantially the width of the gate. Longitudinally, the lip 35 extendssubstantially radially of the shaft for centering thereon forcestransmitted therefrom to the gate.

Slotted toward either side to accommodate the pulleys 22, the front lip35 is thereby divided into a central segment 36 centered laterally onthe gate and the guideway 10 and side segments 37 laterally spacedequally from the central segment. These several segments are fixed orsecured, as by welding, the central segment 36 to a central or spacersleeve 38 rotatably mounted centrally on the shaft between and spacingthe pulleys, and the side segments 37 to collars 39 mounted for relativerotation on the end portions of the shaft immediately beyond thepulleys, conveniently on the inner portions of the inwardly headedbushings illustrated as the rollers 19. Each, with the related roller,straddled or embraced by and substantially filling the space between thepulley 22 and operating head 20 on its end portion of the shaft 17, thecollars 39, while rotatable on the shaft, are substantially fixed orlimited in their axial movement relative thereto. If, as illustrated,the collars 39, whether or not mounted thereon, are of larger diameterthan the rollers 19, they will project below the guideway 10 and, byconfronting with slight spacing the inner surfaces 40 of the extensionrails 14, serve with fixed lateral guides 41 on the frame 3 at sides ofthe gate 6, to guide both gate and shaft against lateral movement on andcanting or angling relative to the guideway 10.

The fixing of the collars 39 against rotation by their rigid connectionto the gate 6 also is made use of for locking the gate in closedposition. This is accomplished by fixing to and suspending from theunderside of each collar a preferably radially extending or depending,vertically disposed locking lug or arm 42, which, in the closed positionof the gate 6, is adapted to be held against forward movement byengagement by a cooperating locking member, suitably in the form of ayoke 43 having a free or closed end 44 in which the lug is receivable.The yokes 43 are pivotable or swingable on a preferably commonhorizontal axis below and normal to the guideway 10, from a releaseposition in which they are substantially vertical to a substantiallyhorizontal locking position in which they engage the lugs 42.

For locking from either side of the car, the lugs 42 are fixedly mountedfor swinging in unison on an operating rod 45 extending across androtatably mounted on the undersides of the extension rails 14, as bymounting brackets 46 fixed to the rails. Conveniently, the rod 45 isbent at both ends beyond the brackets 46 to provide handles 47 onopposite sides of the car. The lugs 45 are appropriately beveled, asindicated at 48, to facilitate their insertion in the yokes 46 and eachlug and its yoke have apertures 49 aligning in their locking positionfor receiving the usual car seal 50.

Once the tension of the cable 18 has been properly adjusted by theturnbuckle 29, opening of the gate 6 by the improved operating assembly1 simply involves release of the locking lugs 42 from the locking yokes43 and turning of the operating shaft 17 in an opening direction fromeither side of the car by an actuating bar inserted in the head 20 atthat side. Although a separate stop may be provided, the gate 6necessarily will be limited in its outward movement by the limitation ontravel of the operating shaft in that direction imposed by the crossbeam14. After discharge of any lading, the gate is moved to closed positionby turning the shaft in the opposite direction and, on reaching thatposition, is locked therein by swinging of the locking yokes 43 intoengagement with the lugs 42. The forces applied to the operating shaftby the cable 17, as it turns therein, being equally distributed betweenthe opposite end portion of the shaft by the driving engagement of thecounterpart pulleys 22 thereon with the necessarily equally tensionedcable legs 21, both end thrust and possible canting of the operatingshaft is eliminated. Also, contrary to a rack-and-pinion operated gate,the vertical force applied by the cable to the shaft is always towardthe guideway and, since opposed by engagement of the rollers 19 with theguideway 10, has no resultant component for transmission to the gate.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there hasbeen provided an improved discharge gate operating assembly which willeffectively open and close a gate without shortcomings to whichconventional operating assemblies are subject. It should be understoodthat the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of theinvention and that all modifications are intended to be included that donot depart from the spirit of the invention and the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway hopper car discharge gate assembly having a framesecured to a hopper and bounding a discharge opening, a guideway fixedto said frame, and a discharge gate for said opening and slidablebetween open and closed positions along said guideway, a gate operatingassembly comprising an operating shaft connected to said gate formovement therwith in unison longitudinallyof said guideway, and cablemeans extending longitudinally of and anchored at opposite extremitiesagainst substantial movement relative to said guide and drivably engagedby said shaft for causing said shaft on rotation thereof to travellongitudinally of said guideway.

2. An operating assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shaft issupported by and rolls on a guideway connected to the frame and removedfrom the dis charge opening.

3. An operating assembly according to claim 2, wherein longitudinalextremities of the cable means are anchored to the frame below the levelof the shaft guideway and beyond opposite limits of travel of the shaftthereon.

4. An operating assembly according to claim 3, wherein the shaftguideway is a part of the gate guideway disposed forwardly of a frontwall of the frame.

5. An operating assembly according to claim 4, wherein the cable meanshas a pair of legs on opposite sides of and laterally spacedequidistantly from a longitudinal centerline of the guideway, and eachleg is engaged by one of a pair of counterpart pulleys fixed to theshaft at opposite sides of and laterally equidistant from saidcenterline.

6. An operating assembly according to claim 5, wherein the pulleys arehelically grooved, each pulley is of a capacity to be wrapped at any onetime by substantially half of the cable in the related leg, and each legis fixed to its pulley by a clip clamping the leg at substantially themidpoint of the cable therein and held peripherally in and centeredaxially on the pulley.

7. An operating assembly according to claim 5, including a commontensioning means at one of the cable extremities for equally tensioningboth of the legs.

8. An operating assembly according to claim 7, wherein the cable at itsother extremity is continuous, and both cable extremities are anchoredto the frame for lateral sliding and against longitudinal movementtoward the shaft. 1

9. An operating assembly according to claim 8, wherein the shaft isfreely rotatable and otherwise limited in movement relative to the gate.

10. An operating assembly according to claim 9, wherein the meansconnecting the gate and shaft for movement in unison longitudinally ofthe guideway are equally distributed on opposite sides of the guidewayslongitudinal centerline.

11. An operating assembly according to claim 10, wherein the connectingmeans include a central sleeve and a pair of collars, each spaced fromsaid sleeve by one of said pulleys, and said sleeve and collars arerotatably mounted on the shaft and fixed to a front end portion of thegate.

12. An operating assembly according to claim 11, wherein the front endportion of the gate beyond the frames front wall is upturned anddisposed substantially radially of the shaft.

13. An operating assembly according to claim 11, including rollersmounted on opposite end portions of the shaft whereon the shaft rolls onthe guideway, each roller and one of the collars being positioned andsubstantially filiing the axial space between the adjoining pulley andan operating head fixed to an adjoining outer end of the shaft forlimiting axial movement thereof on the shaft, and the collars extendingbelow the guideways for aiding in guiding the shaft in its longitudinalmovement thereon.

14. An operating assembly according to claim 11, including meansoperable from each side of a car and engageable with means dependingfrom the collars for lockings the gate in closed position.

15. An operating assembly according to claim 14, wherein the operablemeans include a shaft below and extending across and rotatably mountedon opposite sides of the guideway, and yokes fixed to said shaft forswinging thereby between locking and release positions, and thedepending means on the collars are locking lugs each received in aclosed end of the adjoining yoke swinging thereof to locking position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,140 l/1889 Canda l05282887,225 5/1908 Post 298-27 1,122,918 12/1914 Hart et al l05282 X2,859,707 11/1958 Dorey l05282 X ARTHUR L. LAPOINT, Primary Examiner.

HOWARD BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

